Essay Questions

Why does Jackie's biological father want nothing to do with her?

Jackie's biological father is a born-again Christian and is trying very hard to turn his back on the sins of his youth. In his eyes, Jackie is the symbol of those sins; although he had loved her mother very much they had not been married and he now sees this as a sin. He does not want to be constantly reminded of the things in his life that he feels he did wrong, and Jackie is the biggest reminder of all.

He is also annoyed with Jackie because he feels she has not given her life to Christ in the way that she should. Although he prays over her for several hours (one of the conditions he gave when he agreed to meet with her) he does not feel that she is a good Christian and finds this crushingly disappointing.

Why does Jackie experience an epiphany when she meets her sisters?

Because she does not seem to look like anyone around her, or indeed, anyone she has ever met before, Jackie struggles with finding her sense of self, and also in finding her place in the world. When she meets her sisters, it is the first time that she has ever met anyone who looks like her. They have the same skin color, the same eyes, the same hair - all of a sudden Jackie does not feel isolated in terms of her identity, because she has found people with whom she automatically fits.

She also finds it easier to develop her sense of identity within the context of a family. Although she has a loving family and is very happy within the family unity, she has always been driven by a sense of wondering where she has come from. Once she meets her sisters she begins to see more of the answers that she is looking for, and to see that she is connected to her ancestors in her physical appearance, making her feel part of something.